How the Hunter Became the Hunted
by LillieGhoul
Summary: Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba are together on a mission. Naruto and Kiba both try to win Sakura's heart. Kiba tries to get Sakura's attention by teasing her constantly while Naruto tries to be a hero and rescue her. What happens as a result and who will Sakura choose? Originally intended as a multi-chapter lime but left as a one-shot fluff. Kiba/Sakura.


**A/N: Ok, now this was fun to write. I was originally gonna go for a lime but then I left it at the fluff. I hope it's still good though. A tad long but I was barely able to stop myself as it is.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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 **How the Hunter became the Hunted**

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"She is beauty, she is grace, and she'll punch you straight in the face!" Naruto warned Kiba as they started out on their mission.

"So what? All I did is say that Ino is _hot_. Sakura has to accept the fact," Kiba said, not understanding why Naruto was biting his fingernails and trying to get as far away from Sakura as possible by pushing him towards her. "Ino-chi is a _very_ good kisser as well."

Naruto coughed. Surprisingly, Sakura did not make a single comment and continued to walk silently.

"How-how long have you and Ino-san been going out?" Naruto said.

"Two weeks, but it already feels like two months. That girl is on _fire,_ " Kiba sighed in fake longing. He knew how much Ino irritated Sakura.

"I wish she was assigned with us instead of Sakura," he said, looking at her and grinning. But Sakura still did not react and Kiba frowned, trying to think up something else to pull her leg with.

Naruto's nervousness kept increasing till he was not sure how much longer he could take the tension in the air, to which Kiba was completely oblivious towards.

"Woof!" Akamaru barked as they neared a stream and ran forwards to lap his tongue in the water.

"Why don't we set up camp for the night?" Kiba suggested as he unceremoniously dropped all the bags he was carrying.

Sakura finally spoke up. "No," she said shortly. "If the rogue nins cross the border before we can track them down, we'll have trouble in our hands."

"Relax," Kiba told Sakura. "You're with me."

Naruto raised his eyebrows as Sakura actually blushed at this statement, turning away. Sakura had not ever reacted like that towards _him._ He needed to up his game.

"Besides, how are we going to catch any nins when we're exhausted from two days of traveling? We've been up and walking since dawn practically and we only stopped once to have lunch."

Naruto was noticing this exchange and he was in for a surprise when he actually saw Sakura get flustered. She was not one to succumb easily. Kiba was already seriously annoying them by stopping every once in a while so Akamaru could mark their territory. She saw no point in it but she finally relented after Kiba said it'd be easier and quicker for them to get back, not to mention keeping a track of areas they had already covered searching for the rogue nins.

"Fine then. Naruto, you set up the tents. Kiba and Akamaru, you guys go hunt us something to eat. I'll collect water and get a fire going."

Sakura had not been willing to admit it, but she was actually exhausted. She was taking pills to delay her period while on this mission as said mission had unexpectedly come up and could collide with her date. Plus the continuous walking, tracking, and healing was inflicting a serious drain on her body. She needed to regain chakra. But no way in hell would she ever show weakness in front of the two cocky boys she was stuck with.

As she went to the stream to collect water, she had a sudden urge to bathe. She was covered in a film of sweat and dirt. The boys didn't mind dirt on them for some reason, especially Kiba, which is understandable. She sighed, because she really needed to get the fire going if they hoped to have dinner on time. She'll bathe after everyone goes to sleep.

She sighed again as she got the fire going and Naruto was finishing setting up the second tent.

"Sa-kura-chan," Naruto called to her in a song-song voice as he popped up in front of her, sticking his face close so that their cheeks almost touched in front of the fire. "It feels so nice, ne?"

Sakura backed off, blushing at the sudden closeness and instinctively pushed him away.

"Baka! Can't you see that I'm thinking?"

"But… Sakura-chan. That's what you've been doing this entire mission. What's bothering you? Share it with me. Is it about what Kiba said?"

Naruto grinned evilly, but hid the satisfaction from his face. Kiba was completely wrecking his chances with Sakura. Naruto could swoop in like a hero and show her that he actually respected her. Sakura was sure to like him more that way. Kiba had set up the stage perfectly when he mentioned Ino.

Sakura could not tell Naruto that she was in an emotional dilemma courtesy of her PMS. And the fact that Kiba's remark about Ino had _majorly_ pissed her off as well.

"It's nothing," she said shortly as she poked the fire.

"Wha-? How can it be nothing when you just said that you're thinking?"

A familiar vein began popping up Sakura's temple and Naruto instinctively backed off ten paces.

"Don't-don't worry Sakura-chan," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "For what it's worth, you know that I think you're the most beautiful kunoichi in the village."

Sakura's shoulders had just relaxed and she almost smiled at Naruto when Kiba's voice called out.

"Are you kidding me Naruto? Don't let Hinata ever hear you saying that," Kiba said, coming out of the hedge of trees, a deer slung over Akamaru's back and some berries in his arms. "You'll break her heart!"

Naruto blanched. "What's that supposed to mean? Hinata's sweet and all but she's too shy and not my type. Sakura-chan, on the other hand…"

"Is a dangerous woman," Kiba shuddered. "I face two of them on a daily basis at my home, and you have no idea how much of a pain that is getting bossed around all the time."

Sakura gritted her teeth. Not only had he called her dangerous, but also a _woman_! He had compared her to his violent _mother_ and his stray _sister_. Did she really look older than her age?

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she said angrily.

"I want a woman who spoils me for once!" Kiba continued. "Hinata spoils Shino and me a _lot._ She always cooks on our mission and even cleans up afterwards and refuses our help. We actually look forward to our missions because that means we can at least taste Hinata-chan's cooking."

"Well, I gotta give you that one," Naruto said. "Hinata-chan is awesome, especially her bentos. Sakura-chan can't cook even if her life depended on it, and it's always up to Sai to clean up afterwards as Sakura-chan's things are always _everywhere_."

Sakura clenched her fists along with her already gritted teeth and popping vein. She realized she had done just that; thrown her shoes across and her robe off without looking where they had landed.

"But I don't mind cleaning up after Sakura-chan either. It's totally nothing," Naruto hurriedly added.

But she could cook just as well, and better than that _Hinata._

"I can cook!" she said angrily as Kiba began skinning the deer. Naruto chortled at that but hid his smile behind his fist.

"I'll show you just how well I can!" Sakura insisted.

"Sakura, trust me, while I have full faith in your medical abilities I do _not_ want to come down with food poisoning," Kiba stated. "Ino-chi told me that you can't even boil noodles and if left alone, you'll burn the water. She said that you're hopeless in the kitchen."

"Ha! That's true. Sakura-chan can't even make instant ramen right," Naruto said.

"WHAT?" Sakura stood up, pupils disappearing from her eyes as they rounded in anger. Naruto backed off ten further paces. Kiba apparently was still unaware of the killer intent radiating off of Sakura as he barely even looked up from his task.

"B-but Sakura-chan can do other great things! May-Maybe Sakura-chan can help you skin that deer," Naruto said weakly, trying to cover for Kiba and spare him from imminent pain.

Kiba, however, scoffed. "While I fully trust Sakura's surgical abilities, I cannot trust you with our dinner. Remember the time you went for a mission with Team Guy when Tenten was busy? I heard from Lee that even though Sakura is "flawless", she cut up the animal so roughly that there was very little meat left to eat! If it weren't for the fish that Neji caught, they would've starved."

Naruto blanched. There was no helping Kiba. And people said that _he_ was the one with the big mouth. Kiba had no experience of Sakura's wrath, which was why he was mouthing off so easily, Naruto thought.

"Now, Tenten on the other hand, that girl sure can use a kunai," Kiba said, whistling in admiration. "That one time when Hinata was sick, Tenten substituted for her in our mission. That girl is _fierce_. She whisks off animals and hunts them in one swift motion like it's nothing, without damaging the meat at all. She even cuts off the skin so neatly and all in one piece. I think her aim is even more precise than Hinata's, if that's even possible."

Sakura slowly stomped her way towards Kiba, tightening her gloves. Naruto was amazed that Kiba did not even give heed to the minor earthquakes she was causing with each step she made. Cutting off the meat into pieces and staking them, Kiba said one last thing to stop Sakura cold in her tracks.

"Sakura was completely useless in that mission, Ino-chi said," he laughed.

 _Useless._ The word reverberated in the cervix of Sakura's mind. She already knew she was of little help on missions until someone got hurt, but she was strong too!

Above all, she was the only kunoichi in their group who did not have a special quality. Kiba had stated it clearly; Ino was the hottest, Hinata was the most responsible, Tenten had killer aim, and Sakura? Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

How was she supposed to argue back? _I can heal?_ Well, so could Ino and Hinata. They actually made their own medicine as well.

The raging anger Sakura was feeling suddenly transformed into a chilling hurt.

"So what you're saying is… I… I'm not special… In _any_ way?"

 _Useless,_ her inner self screamed. _It's a running joke around the village._

Naruto spoke up. "N-no Sakura-chan! You're the most special! Believe it!"

Sakura turned to him. "Oh yeah? Name one thing I'm special at. Something which is unique to my character and only I can do."

"Apart from the fact that you're a monster?" Kiba joked before Naruto could put in a single word.

Sakura looked at him with hurt deeply etched on her face, but Kiba just laughed, not aware that Sakura had completely misunderstood his meaning. It was not until tears formed in her eyes did Naruto and Kiba stop laughing, confused. She sobbed and ran past them into the forest.

Kiba scratched the back of his head. "Did I say something wrong?" he said.

"Beats me," Naruto replied. "Girls, I don't understand them."

Sakura did not come for dinner, nor did she come back to her tent to sleep. Kiba had the first watch, and he looked worriedly into the forest, a far-off expression on his face.

"Naruto, I know I was supposed to take first watch but I'm leaving Akamaru to do that. I'm gonna go look for Sakura. You should go get some sleep."

"Ahou!" Naruto argued. "I'm going to go in search for Sakura and _you_ go to sleep. I doubt she wants to see your face after you teased her like that."

Kiba blanched in guilt. "Naruto, that's exactly why _I_ should go to her. I mean, I still don't know what I said wrong but I should go apologize. I didn't realize that she was taking it all to heart. My mum actually used to pull my ears out whenever she teased me and I started to cry and told me to stop being such a sissy. Actually she said something else, which starts with "p" and rhymes with sissy. So I often forget that not every girl is as emotionally strong as the ones at my home, even though I'm in the same team as Hinata. It just came to me how Hinata doesn't like it when we tease her about her hairstyle and how it's the same as Rock Lee's either."

Naruto smacked his head. "Teme! I understood you and all but for kami's sake don't start to tease Sakura-chan about her hairstyle either. Some things are off-limits when it comes to girls, like how you always say a girl looks nice even though she looks horribly ugly, like something Akamaru dragged in."

"Woof," Akamaru yipped in protest.

"Wow Naruto," Kiba said. "You're much smarter than I thought. I'm just used to being honest, is all."

Naruto huffed up in pride. "Believe it-dattebayo. But let's see where Sakura-chan ran off to."

Kiba sniffed the air in search of Sakura. A giddy, lustful feeling took over him and his mouth drooled. He hadn't realized before, but Sakura's scent was actually kind of sweet. Scratch that, it was _amazingly_ sweet.

"Naruto, I hate to break it to you but _I'll_ be the one to get to Sakura."

"HA! Keep dreaming dog-boy! Not if I get to her first."

With that said, Naurto ran off without further ado into the forest. Kiba smacked his head. _No way would I let Naruto get to her first_ , he thought as he ran off, ordering Akamaru to guard their belongings.

Sakura was done crying, but she was still very hurt. It did not help that she was feeling particularly emotional due to the mechanisms of her body. Sakura was used to letting her anger out by punching a few boulders, but she didn't feel like it. Instead, she followed her earlier plan. She decided to go for a good soak and relieve her mind.

She sighed in satisfaction as the water touched her. She dipped in completely before resurfacing, staring up at the starry night sky. She sighed as she thought about how Kiba had insulted her and made her doubt her self-worth. At least Naruto cared for her and defended her.

 _Sakura._

She was thinking about Kiba so deeply, that she thought she could actually hear him. She grits her teeth. _Curse that dog!_

"Sakura!"

His voice was much nearer now. Confused, she turned back to see him staring straight at her.

She fell backwards, arms splayed before remembering that she was completely naked. She covered her chest with her arms.

"Kiba!" she yelled. "The hell?"

Kiba stifled in a remark about how Sakura actually had nothing special to hide. Naruto had just told him that some things were just best not to be mentioned. He felt an inner satisfaction of having found her before Naruto. How could Naruto have hoped to best him when Team Kurenai was the best in tracking?

"Sakura, you've been gone for hours. We were worried."

She had completely lost track of the time, but she didn't even feel like encountering their faces back at their campsite either. Especially the current dog-nin staring straight at her while she bathed!

"Kiba, stop looking at me!"

Kiba was confused but still didn't turn away, as he was transfixed by the beauty ahead of him. "Why?" he asked.

"Kiba! I'm naked! Not to mention I'm still angry at you!"

Kiba licked his lips to cover his trembling lips as Sakura buried herself neck deep and drifted further away from shore, turning her back on him.

Kiba scoffed. "Like I care," he said. He kicked off his sandals and took off his shirt. "I'm coming in," he informed her.

Sakura thought that she was joking, that is, until she heard a loud splash behind her as the spray hit her, heavy ripples dis-balancing her.

Not believing her ears, she turned to see Kiba resurfacing. He had apparently canon-balled into the water.

"Yahoo!" he yelled. "That felt good."

"Kiba!" Sakura shrieked. "Get away!"

Kiba smiled naughtily. "Oh? Are you getting embarrassed by lil old me?"

To be honest, he was completely mortified himself at his daring. What he really wanted to do was run away with his tail between his legs. He was never good with girls and he always said something wrong to make them slap him on his face.

Sakura blushed, her skin color becoming one with her hair. She didn't want to admit it, but Kiba's shaggy hair and hairy torso sent a tingle through her body. Scared of the feelings, she ventured deeper.

Kiba smiled evilly as he slowly came towards her. Sakura could just stare at him in shock as he came closer. She sent water splashing his way.

"Is this how you apologize to a girl?" Sakura said, trying to splash him in the vain hope that he'll recede back to the surface. Or was that what she really wished for?

"Actually," Kiba said, as he came close enough to grab both of her forearms. "I have other means, ones which you'd rather not feel that comfortable with."

She could have easily knocked him off, but his touch had sent electricity spiraling down her body as goosebumps prickled her skin. In fact, she felt his own trembling fingers, and realized he was more nervous than she was. The way he was looking at her, with his nervousness masked behind that cocky expression, made her legs turn to jelly and her lungs run out of air. She had a pretty good idea what he meant and her heartbeats rapidly accelerated.

"Why?" she said breathlessly. She had never looked at Kiba in this way before. Maybe it was because of the increased emotional burden she was feeling.

"Haruno Sakura. You smell… Intoxicating. I haven't… smelt someone like you... in ages," he let out, and his animal-like growl just kept on exciting her.

"But…" she said as he pulled her closer to him. "You… you called me a monster."

"And you ran off before you could allow me to elaborate."

Sakura gasped, and she coughed as water ran into her lungs.

"What… What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded tears streaming down her eyes.

"Well, you have monstrous strength. You're wild, and you can dominate," he growled again as a smile started to spread on his face. She wanted to slap it away. "And that's exactly how I like my girls to be."

They were so close that she could feel his breath. She shuddered as he inhaled deeply again.

"Aren't… Aren't you dating..."

"Who?" Kiba asked. "Your scent makes me forget things."

Sakura smiled at the attempt but shoved his chest.

"I'm serious," she said. "Just a few hours ago, you were insulting me."

"Sakura, seriously," Kiba said. "Was anything I said false?"

Her nose flared but she didn't say anything.

"Besides, I loved teasing you. I… I just… didn't know what else to talk about," he admits sheepishly.

"Inuzuka Kiba, next time you try flirting with a girl, try _not_ to make her feel worthless."

Sakura's heart sank as she remembered the one word which had sent a knife through her heart.

"You…you called me useless," she said, her eyes suddenly filled with fresh tears, and not just because she had inhaled water this time.

Kiba snarled in exasperation and the close proximity made him shudder more. "Sakura, I just told you what Ino said. It doesn't necessarily mean I agree with her. I personally do not think you're useless at all. Did I not praise your medical abilities throughout our conversation?"

Sakura sniffed, and Kiba leaned closer.

"Besides," he said in a low, sexy voice as their noses almost touched. "To be perfectly honest, I think you're better than Ino, even if Ino _is_ hotter. You certainly _smell_ better, and that's what I care about more."

Sakura sighed. Way to spoil the mood. Boys are completely hopeless. Kiba needed a lot of training to do. She needed to teach this dog a few tricks.

"When you're trying to praise a girl, you do not compare her to others nor do you mention how you think the other girl is hotter. You call the other girl an ugly pig."

"But… that would be lying."

"Yes Kiba, girls occasionally need to be lied to. You tell your girl she looks good even if she looks like something the kyuubi dragged in."

 _Now that certainly sounds familiar,_ Kiba thought.

"I just… wanted to make you feel jealous," he admitted. "So… so that you'd notice me."

Sakura looked at him, eyes wide.

"What I said about Ino was all true," Kiba continued. "But… she doesn't make me feel the way that you do. You… you make me feel weird things. You make me _do_ weird things, like a dog in heat."

Dammit! He cursed. He wanted to kick himself for making that reference.

Sakura was mortified, not to mention a little curious. _And_ not to mention, extremely satisfied to have one-upped Ino yet again.

"How do I make you feel weird?" she says, eyes half closed as she looked up at him. She touched the canine markings on his cheeks and held his other arm, enjoying how her touches actually sent him shuddering and his eye twitch.

"You know…" he tried to speak, looking away. He was very nervous all of a sudden when he wasn't the one in control. "I look at you and I think you'll be a perfect fit with… with the women of my clan. All of them are very strong females. They… They've taught me to never underestimate women or to think lowly of them. I respect you a lot. You're strong, Sakura."

"Didn't you say you want a woman who'll spoil you for once?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow.

He was still not meeting her eyes. "Actually, I'd like that but…" he trailed off.

"But?" Sakura encouraged.

A few seconds passed before he spoke up. "I've-always-wanted-to-be-the-one-to-do-the-spoiling," he said in a rush. A deep blush crept up his face and met his hairline. He wanted to drown in the water he was in.

Sakura decided that it was her turn to tease him this time. The control which had shifted made her feel powerful.

"What was that?" she said innocently. She fingered his collarbone and saw his Adam's apple constrict with that gesture. She was enjoying the effect she had on him. The hunter had become the hunted. She longed to feel his arms around her and his lips on hers.

"My ma and sis are both very... dominating. They've always treated me like an overgrown baby because they think that I can't do anything on my own, ever."

"Are you... Afraid of domineering women? Do you long to be an alpha for once?"

"Well, I... I... You see," he cleared his throat to stop his stuttering and to clear his suddenly blocked throat. What was happening to his voice?

"I'm sure there's... plenty that you can do," she says, looking at his lips which appeared to be very kissable.

"I... I've actually always wanted to spoil and take care of someone you know, and not just the hounds at my compound."

Sakura leaned in even closer, maintaining eye contact. "And... How do you intend to do that?"

Kiba suddenly understood her direct point and became extremely wary of the fact that he was wearing just his boxers. Sakura on the other hand…

"Sakura… I… I do not… want to take… take advantage of y-your situation," he said, fear dawning in his eyes. He cursed himself. He was stuttering even worse than Hinata!

Realizing that he would never make the first move, she leaned in even closer. He flinched, appearing that he would back off any second. She threw an arm around his neck and met his lips, the other hand behind his head, holding his hair.

Kiba gasped, caught off guard. His eyes were wide open. When Sakura broke the kiss, his mouth remained hanging.

"S-Sakura…" he whispered on her lips. "I…"

She looked at him and the emerald orbs which were her eyes sparkled, reflecting the starlit sky above. Their lips were almost touching and she felt his trembling, but this time, she waited for him to finally make a move, checking to see how badly he wanted it. She was past all the subtleties and had directly invited him to lead.

"Sakura…"

Trembling lips hesitatingly reached out for hers and grabbed her mouth, this time with eyes closed. He nibbled her lower lip, but again, it was more of a shiver than a bite. His teeth almost chattered. He wanted to deepen the kiss as he held her hair and hugged her close to him, their chests colliding. He gasped as another tremor shook his body with the impact of her feminine body on his. It sent him reeling as his imagination ran wild. He fought to stay in control and not to completely lose it.

His hand caressed her bare back and waist, feeling her feminine shape. He pulled her leg up and rested it over his, tightening their embrace. The water was cold, but his face flamed and her lips burned. Each touch sent a fire through every nerve in his body. He had never felt like this before.

He ran his arm down her arm and back up again, before again hugging her tightly as he wrapped it around her without breaking the kiss. He wanted so badly to push her back and kiss her senseless, but he did not want to scare her. Afraid of the sudden, wild sensations filling his head, he pulled back, holding her face. His thumbs circled her jaw as he gazed down at her for nearly a minute, his face holding a soft expression she had never seen before.

Finally, he dipped his head down again and captured her lips with his again, prying them open. His canine teeth poked her lips and her nerves responded. He suckled her lips, asking permission to enter. She teased his own lips by licking at the sides and his chin before finally allowing him to invade her mouth. She ran her tongue over his canine teeth before he took over and bit back down.

Reversing their position, he pulled her up as her legs went around his waist, without breaking the kiss. He subconsciously began leading her back to the surface as she pulled his head back by clenching his hair from both sides, exposing his throat. Their tongues playing gently against each other as he breathed her in like oxygen to sate his unending desires. She herself was so lost in the kiss that she only realized they had reached the edge when her back rested on it. He was distracted by the image of her revealed breasts before him before realizing what he was looking at and quickly tearing his eyes away and meeting hers again.

As his lips met hers for the fourth time with a fiercer passion and heavier breathing, his arms went down her shoulders as his mouth traveled down to her chin and then nuzzled below her chin. She groaned as he found her soft spot and nibbled her neck. His fingers were close, so she took his arm and led him towards her breast, allowing him permission.

He pulled away slightly from the kiss to whimper. "Is… Is this… What y-you want?" he whispered.

She pulled him back into the kiss to affirm, and he let his arms hesitatingly travel down as he ran his fingers down her breasts, before finally cupping them in his hot palms. She gasped as a sharp bolt of electricity spiraled her senses and her heartbeat rapidly picked up the pace. She was sure he could hear each thump it made. As he gazed down at her, she couldn't meet his eyes and she was sure her face was incredibly flushed from the heat he had inflicted on her.

"Sakura…" he rasped in longing as his buried his face below her neck, sucking on the tender flesh and leaving his mark. Her nails dug his back and he groaned in pleasure.

"Sakura…" he called again. She brought up the courage to meet his eyes, bright green meeting black but finding the latter to be completely covered in misty haze and lustful passion, contrary to the usual sharpness always found in them. The expression on his face was so soft, so tender, that she melted under his gaze.

"Sakura, I…"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SAKURA-CHAN YOU FILTHY ANIMAL?"

The spell was broken. Sakura screamed as Kiba suddenly pulled away to dodge a rasen-shuriken aimed straight at him.

"NARUTO NO BAKA!" Kiba yelled but he had to roll over on the ground in the opposite direction to dodge another attack. Sakura screamed some more as she covered herself with the nearest article of clothing she could find.

Naruto leapt forwards and stood in front of Sakura, his back to her, looking straight at Kiba in disgust.

"Sakura-chan, you don't need to worry. I'm here. I won't let this filthy dog get his claws on you again."

Sakura's gnashing of teeth reverberated around the forest and echoed amongst the trees, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was uncovered, she would've punched the living daylights out of Naruto.

Other than that fact, he was lucky. Naruto only got away with a black eye and no broken bones.

As Sakura dressed herself up grimly, Kiba had his head bowed and his back to her. In a way, he was thankful for the interruption. Who knows how far things would've gotten if Naruto hadn't shown up? He was _this_ close to losing control and it incredibly scared him.

The trio quietly made their way back to their campsite, neither party speaking to each other. Naruto had colored up when it was revealed that Kiba and Sakura had actually been in a somewhat compromising position out of their own free will. He couldn't meet their eyes and was actually a little heartbroken that Sakura had not chosen him.

As they reached, Akamaru got up and barked, wagging his tail. Naruto and Kiba started making their way to their tent when Sakura coughed. They both turned to look at her.

"Kiba-kun… Why don't you share a tent with me?" she said shyly, looking away and blushing.

Kiba blushed in response as he started to sweat. "Ummm… Uhhh…"

Naruto gulped in embarrassment and hurriedly made his way inside the tent he and Kiba had originally intended to share, not wanting to get caught up in the mush and pretending not to have heard her.

"Akamaru, you sleep beside the fire," Kiba ordered. Akamaru whined in protest but folded his legs all the same.

Kiba followed Sakura inside her tent. As he took off his shirt and lay down on the sleeping bag, he waited for Sakura to come up beside him. She joined him soon, sidling up to him, breathing in his masculine scent as he cuddled her up close. He breathed in her hair deeply as she smiled at him, his fingers caressing her cheek, her temples, and her hair.

Just as their lips almost met, they heard Naruto call out, "Make sure you're up for guard duty after three hours, one of you. Don't make me knock on your tent. And please... Don't make me… hear anything."

Kiba groaned as Sakura just sighed. She put her head on his chest and Kiba's light scratching on her head as he played with her hair made her very comfortable, automatically making her eyes close and soon sending her drifting off to sleep.

Kiba, on the other hand, couldn't sleep as he absently stroked her hair. He looked at her sleeping, peaceful face, and he knew he had fallen in love. No girl had ever made him feel this way nor had any scent ever excited him as hers did. He wondered exactly how effed up he really was, depending how his mother took the news, or if Sakura actually felt the same way.

* * *

 **A/N: A few things to clear out.  
**

 *** I have not decided when exactly this incident takes place. I started writing this keeping in mind that it happened after the Fourth Great Ninja War because they've all matured.**

 *** I also know that Naruto could easily have sensed Sakura with his natural energy and even felt her thoughts sooner than Kiba. It's just for the sake of this story that Naruto didn't and maybe the peace has made him too lazy to consider using his powers to that extent for such a purpose.**

 *** If this was rushed and lengthy, it's because I had originally intended it as a multi-chapter story, but then combined and left it as a one-shot.**

 *** _Constructive_ criticism is welcomed. Please review and let me know what you think!**


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